Poultry-feeder.



J. W. HARPER.

I POULTRY FEEDER. APPLICATION rmm JAN. 17,19081' Patented Mar. 9, 1909.

J06 Wffdf/ e/g JOB W. HARPER, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

POULTRY-FEEDER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 9, 1909.

Application filed January 17, 1908. Serial No. 411,359.

To all whom it may concern:

Be itknown that 1, JOB W. HARPER, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Guyahoga and State of Ohio, have inventez'l new and useful improvements in Poultryd eeders, of which the following is a s eciiication.

This invention relates to poultry feeders, and one of the principal objects oi the same is to provide means whereby the weight of the fowl will open the door to the feed box, and when the lowl steps from the foot board the door of the boa: is automatically closed.

Another object of the invention to provide a device of simple construction which comprises a feed box provided with doors which are normally closed to protect the feed from the weather, and to permit the openin of the doors to the feed boX by the weight or the fowl upon a pivoted i oot board.

These and other objects may be attained by means of the construction illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a poultry feeder made in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a central, vertical section of the same.

Referring to the drawing for a more par ticular description of the invention, the numeral 1 designates a feed receptacle having a flaring upper end and a contracted lower end 2. A central partition 3 extends from the top of the receptacle to the bottom 4, said bottom 4 extending outward beyond the lower end of the receptacle and provided with fronts 5, thus providing a horizontal' chamber 6 at opposite sides of the partition 3. The ends 7 of the receptacle 1 extend below the bottom 1, as shown in Fig. 2, and these ends rest upon the ground and provide a space between their lower edges and the bottom surface of the bottom board 1. Doors 8 are hinged to the receptacle 1, as at 9. Foot boards 19, each comprising longitudinal bars 11 pivotally connected at 12 to the side pieces 7 underneath the bottom 1', are provided with cross boards or slats 13, and a cross board 14 at their inner ends, the cross boards serving to overbalance the outer ends of the foot boards and normally hold their outer ends at an upward inclination or in spaced relation to the ground. Connected to each foot board is a rod 15, said rod being pivoted at 16, to the foot board and at its opposite end 17, to a lever 18 pivoted at 19 to one of the sides 7. A connecting rod 20 is pivoted at 21 to the lever 18, and the opposite end of said rod is pivot-ally connected at 22 to the door 8 of the feed receptacle 6. A cover 23 its over the top of the receptacle 1 and is provided with a suitable knob or handle 24.

From the foregoing it will be obvious that as the fowls jump upon the foot boards their weight will pull upon the rod 15, and actuate the lever 18 to draw upward upon the connecting rod 20 and open the doors 8 to the feed receptacle 6, and permit the fowl to feed. When he jumps from the foot board, the weight 14 closes the door in an obvious manner. Owing to the restricted lower opening 2 in the feed chamber, the grain will be fed slowlyto the chambers 6 where it will be protected "from the weather by the automatically operating doors 8.

My invention is of simple construction, can be manufactured at slight cost, protects the feed from the weather, and prevents overi'eeding, while at the same time it gives the poultry suilicient exercise at feeding time.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is:

A. feeder comprising a receptacle having a flared upper portion and a reduced lower portion, the receptacle having a horizontally-disposed portion at its lower end to form a feed chamber, a hinged cover for the chamber, a foot-board pivotally mounted beneath the chamber and comprising an outer portion and a solid inner portion, the solid inner portion serving to overbalance the foot-board, a rocking element carried by the receptacle, a connection between one end of the element and the outer portion oi the foot-board, and a connection between the other end of said element and the door.

In testimony whereof, I aihx my signature in presence of two witnesses,

JOB 'W. HARPER.

Witnesses:

J. G. Foes, R. M. Comics. 

